Update: Proposed Standards for Integrity And Independence In Accredited CE
Thank you for your responses to our call for comment about the proposed, revised ACCME Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education. We will publish a summary of the responses on our website within the next month.
The ACCME Board of Directors reviewed the responses at its March 2020 meeting, reaffirmed its agreement with the principles described in the Standards, and came to consensus about modifications to make in response to the community’s comments.
Opportunity for Alignment
The ACCME is working to create harmonization of the disclosure expectations with other stakeholders in the regulatory community. Respondents to our call for comment encouraged us to pursue this alignment as it would greatly simplify the disclosure process for continuing education providers, faculty members, researchers, and authors. Toward that end, the Board decided to delay adoption and implementation of the revised Standards while the discussions about alignment are taking place. We expect those discussions to conclude in the fall, facilitating release of a final version of the Standards before the end of the year.
Transition Plan
After the Board adopts the revised Standards, the ACCME will release a transition plan for the accredited continuing education community. This plan will include:
- Transition phase to give accreditors, accredited educational providers, faculty, volunteers, and other stakeholders time to prepare to meet the expectations of the revised Standards.
- Education and resources to support the continuing education community’s successful adoption of the revised Standards.
Current Standards Remain in Place
The current Standards for Commercial Support remain in place and accredited continuing education providers should continue to comply with them, in addition to complying with other accreditation requirements.
If you have questions, please contact us at info@accme.org.